Turbine-bucket wheel.



JAMESVVI LKINSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WILKINSON TURBINE COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF A LA BAMA.

TURBINE-BUCKET WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented March 13, 1906.

Application filed May 5,1905. Serial No. 258.969.-

To. all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WILKINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented new and useful II'n rovements in Turbine-Bucket Wheels, of which the following is a specificatlon.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of turbine-buckets and the after engaged by transverse pins or wedges,

which act to flex .or bend the buckets or shanks in such a manner as to lock them under tension in said opening. I

In carrying my invention into ractice in its referred form I propose to cut t eindividual uckets from a steel strip which has been rolled to possess the proper cross -sectional sha ,e. These buckets W111 each be provided wit an integral shank and top lug. I'take a wheel or drum andaround its periphery bore a plurality of radial circular openings, spaced the distance it is desired to set .the buckets. Each bucket-opening is undercut at one side'. or recessed near'its'inner end, so that the shank of the bucket may be bent into the re: cess by the insertion of a key or bolt transversel of the Wheel-hub, whereby-the bucket is held therein with greater strength than the shearin strain of its key. The buckets are prefera ly so disposed relatively to the recess in the bucket-opening that the action ofthekey in bending the bucket-shank into the recess has the effect of drawing the wings of the buckets firmly against the rim of the wheel. This is one .advantage ofmy construction, for b holding the whole bucket firmly against t e wheel the dan er of leakage of steam between bucket an wheel will be minimized, thusmateriallypreserving the life of both parts. from injury due to the cuttin action of the steam.

4 prefer to insert a block designed to comings.

plementthe bucket-shank in filling the opening and between which and the lower end of the shank thekey or bolt is adapted to beinserted, a Wedge-key for starting the bending of the. shank into the recess being first inserted and preferably driven on through the wheel-rim by the key .or bolt which follows it and is riveted in place. Since the shank and wedge-block fit tightly in the entrance to the bucket-shank opening in the wheel, it is obvious that the bucket cannot become displaced so long as'the key is in place. It is also true that the bending of the 'shank'gives a spring tension to the bucket, which holds it with great firmness in place; but, if desired, the

block inserted with-the bucket-shank may be driven or calked in place to insure against the buckets rattling.

I desire to protect such variations in the construction and arrangements of parts as coine within the scope of my invention, it being understood that the bucket-shank may be partly bent before insertion into the wheel opening and also that any equivalent means maybe substituted for the blocks above referred to, or the latter may be dispensed with in certain cases.

In describing an illustrative means for carrying my invention into effect, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and vin which' i f 1 Figure 1 is a side view-of a turbine wheel broken away. Figs. 2 and} are similar views, partly in section, to illustrate,respec -tively, the bucket-shank opening and the manner of locking the shank in its opening. Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse vertical sectional tail view of a'wedge-block which is inserted with each bucket-shank into the wheel-open.- Fig. 7 is av side view of the block and shank in position in the'wheel before being bent to position shownin'jFig. 3. Fig. 8 is a tcp view of Fig. 7 Fig; 9, aviewlook-v ing wn on the wheel, its parts being broken away to illustrate the successivesteps in the mounting of the buok'ets therein. Fig. 10 is views through Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 6 is a dea sectional view along-the; line zallFig. 9.

Fig. 11 illustrates amodi-fication-of myfinvention, in which the wheel is formed from a plate having rings secured on each side ofits erilphery rim :by the rivets that look the ets in place .3 formed between the wings 9 is 0 equa cross- Similar reference-numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In illustrating a preferred form of my invention for use in impact turbines I have .shown a wheel 1, havin a rim 2,, into'which are bored a plurality of circular openings 3. After forming these openings by, means of a suitable tool an undercut recess 4 iscut or bucket itself milled near the inner endof and at a corresponding point in each opening. These openings=3 are spaced equidistant around the wheel-rim, the distance apart being. that at which it is desired to set the'buckets 5. These buckets are preferably stamped from a strip of metal rolled so that its cross-sectional con tour corresponds with that of'the bucket. The buckets when stamped from the strip have an inte ral top lu 6 and shank 7. The isformerI with wings Sand 9, the former of which tapers from a point .to the thickened body portion of the bucket, while the latter projects forward, so as to overlap the prece ing bucket, being of e ual thickness throughout the major portion 0 its length. This construction reduces the fric tion of the jet of steam as it is discharged against the wings 8 of the .buckets and also reduces the reactive effect of the steam as it is discharged from the wings 9 of the buckets by reason of the fact that the assa e-way sectional area throughout. Though I have described th's bucket construction as a preferred form, it is, however,'to be understood that any other form of bucket may be used w thin the scope of my invent on.

In fastening the buckets in place on the wheel in accordance with my preferred coni struction a bucket-shank 7 is inserted into an 0 ening 3 in the wheel, the lower end of the s ank being disposed opposite to the recess' t' in the opening. A block 10, having a transverse'groove 11 at its lower end, is then in-.

sorted into the openin and driven or calked therein in a manner to I old the up er portion of the bucket-shank firmly in p ace in" the opening. The block is curved'in cross-sectlon to correspond with the opening 3, and the block and shank when in position substantially fill this 0 ening. The face of the block engaging the s ank 1S convex to correspond with the concave of the shank, as is shown in Fig. 8. The block and shank will now be inthe position shown in Fig. 7, it being noted opening the shank and bucket are shown in cross-section along the line :a a: of Fig. 7. The taper ng, point of the spreader will be. passed through the open ng 13' and into the groove 11, and as it is driven through it acts to bend the shank into the recess 4 in the opening 3. The parts will then take the position shown in connection with the second bucket in Fig. 9 and corresponding with a sectional View 'along the line y yof Fig. I prefer to drive the spreader 12 through the opening 13 by a of the spreader. In Fig. 3 the rivet is shown in position, its head being spread inthe usual manner, as seen in Fig. 5. According to this construction there is no shearing strain upon shearing strain upon the shank s comparatively small.

It will be noted that thetail-wing of each bucket is bentv in an op ositedil ection to that in which its win s 8 an 9 are disposed. From this itfollows t at the'action of the spreader in bending the shank will act directly to force the wings 8 and 9 against the wheel-rim. The spring action of the bent shank will hold thesewings and the whole bucket with great rim, so that there will be no leakage of fluid between the bucket and wheel. In this con nection it may be noted that the lower faces of the wings 8 and 9 of the buckets are stamped with the arc of the rim, so that this bending of the shank will have equalefl'ect along the whole length of the wing to hold it against the wheel-rim.-

, To prevent the spill or the motor fluid radially between the ends of the buckets, I provide a rim formed of a number of sections 15, which are provided with o enings 16, through which the top lugs 6 of tlie buckets project. When the buckets are in place, these lugs 6 are spread or swaged, as shown in Fig. 10, and this serves to firmly hold the 1im-sections in ace.

f To further reduce the cost ofconstruction and enable the bucket -'wheelto be formed from plate or sheet metal, I utilize the rivets 14 to secure in place around the periphery of the wheel twoannularrings 17. when in place form a rim for thewheel which openings 13 being provided in-this construction as in that shown inFig. 4.

of my invention, the construction shown be-- ing capable of various modifications within the scope of my present invention.

Havlngthus described my invention, what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent, is

1. Ina turbine-bucket wheel, a rim portion provided with a plurality of: undercut"openrivet 14, which is of the same size*as the head'- These rings corres ondsiin'cross-section with the rim of the w eel shown in the other figures, the I the rivet, but only a crushing strain, and the firmness and under tension against the wheelout on an arc corresponding substantially I have thus described an illustrative form ings' of less Width than said rim, a plurality of bucketsadapted to be inserted into said openings and held against lateral displacement be-l .lock said buckets iii-place comprising Wedgicut portions of said openings to lock the bucketsin position.

2. A turbine-bucket wheel comprising a I rim provided-with a plurality of radially-disbuckets and cut from the thick central posed openings therein of less width than the rim, said openings being undercut, a plurality of buckets having integral shanks of less width than the buckets 'a'ndadapted to be inserted in the openings, transverse openings in the wheel-rim, and locking devices inserted through these transverse openings and passing through the radial openings, said devices being adapted to hold said shanks in engagement with the undercut portions of said openings to prevent the radial displacement of the buckets.v

.. In combination with a plurality of buckets stamped from a rolled stri of metal which is curved in cross-section an tapers from the center to the sides, shanks integral with said ortions of said strip, a bucket element PIOVldGd with radial. openings into which said shanks are adapted to be inserted and which conform to the curved rear face of the shanks, T

said openings being undercut opposite the rear face of said shanks, and transversel disposed locking-pins which hold said 'shan s in engagement with the undercut wall of said (5 enings and prevent radial displacement of t e buckets. p

' 4. In a turbine-bucket wheel, a rim portion having a plurality of radially-disposed'circular openings undercut at one side, a plurality of buckets having bent shanks disposed within" the undercut portions of said openings and lockin pins, inserted transversely of said rim, w 'ch engage said shanks and lock them in said openings.

5. In combination, a rotatable bucket element, a plurality of o enings bored therein,

said openingp being 0 greater area at their inner than t eir outer ends, buckets adapted to be inserted in said openings, blocks'for substantially filling the openings at their outer ends after the insertion of the buckets,

and means, adapted to be inserted between said block and bucket near the inner end of said openings, which bend the bucket for'the purposes described.

1 6. In combination, a bucket-Wheel for turbines having a plurality of o penings bored radially into its periphery, said openings being formed with an undercut recess, buckets, shanks integral with said buckets and adapted to enter said openings, andmeans engaging the said undercut recesses to lock the buckets in place.

7. In a bucket-wheel, a rim portion provided, with a plurality of circular radial open-- in s in its erlpher said 0 enin s bein rovided witli an undzrcut re ess, a pluralIt y of transverse bolt-openings intersectmg said circular openin s near. their inner ends, in combination wit a plurality of buckets having integral shanks adapted to be inserted into said peripheral openings. and disposed op'posite said undercut recesses, blocks adapted to be inserted into said openings and substantially conformin in cross-sectional area with that openings not filled by the bucket-shanks, and means adapted to be inserted through said bolt-openings and between said block and. shank to bend the shank into'said recess and lock it in its bent position, and means to lock said locking means in lace in the wheel.

8. In a bucket w eel having peripheral openings, buckets having integral shanks, blocks adapted to be inserted with said shanks into said openings to substantially fill the same, a groove in the face of said block which abuts against said shank, an opening in the wheel opposite said groove in the block,when the latter is in position, a tapering device adapted to be inserted through said openin and into said groove, and to spread .sai shank into a recess in the wheel-opening, and means to lock said shank in its bent position,

substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

portion of t e outer end of the circular 

